ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Prime Minister's Office
PM expresses gratitude towards those who work to make our planet healthier on World Health Day
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed gratitude towards those who work to make our planet healthier on the occasion of World Health Day.
Sharing a tweet by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, the Prime Minister tweeted:
“On World Health Day, we express gratitude to all those who work to make our planet healthier.
Our Government will continue working to augment health infrastructure and ensure quality healthcare to the people.”
Ministry of Defence
INS AIRAVAT ARRIVES AT HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM WITH COVID RELIEF SUPPLIES
As part of the ongoing Mission SAGAR, INS Airavat arrived at Ho Chi Minh City Port in Vietnam with COVID Relief Material on 30 August 2021. The ship is carrying 100 Metric Tons of Liquid Medical Oxygen in 05 ISO Containers and 300 Oxygen Concentrators of 10 LPM capacity each based on the requirement projected by the Government of Vietnam in its fight against the ongoing COVID19 pandemic.
INS Airavat, an indigenously built Landing Ship Tank  under the Eastern Naval Command based at Visakhapatnam, is on a deployment to South East Asia for trans-shipment of COVID Relief aid. The ship had earlier entered Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia on 24 August 2021 and disembarked 10 Liquid Medical Oxygen Containers requested by the Government of Indonesia. As part of the Government of India’s vision of SAGAR , the Indian Navy has been proactively engaging with countries in the region and has been at the forefront of numerous humanitarian missions spanning the entire extent of the Indian Ocean including South/ South East Asia and East Africa.
India and Vietnam enjoy a strong traditional bond of friendship and have been working together towards a safer maritime domain. The two navies cooperate in various areas including a composite training programme in the fields of the submarine, aviation and technical training, and regularly carry out joint naval exercises in the form of bilateral exercises. The current deployment of the ship aims to further strengthen the strategic relationship.
The ship will depart Ho Chi Minh City post disembarkation of the medical supplies and as part of the ongoing Mission SAGAR continue onwards to deliver medical supplies to other friendly nations in the region.
_________________________________________________________________________
CGR/VM/JSN
(Visitor Counter : 1765
Ministry of Science & Technology
Black carbon could lead to premature mortality: study
Black Carbon has a significant adverse effect on human health and leads to premature mortality, says a new study. The study could help in the estimation of future burden of mortality associated with air pollutants more accurately.
The Indo-Gangetic plain is exposed to black carbon  with serious implications on regional climate and human health. However, most of the pollutions-based epidemiological studies essentially relate exposure to particulate mass concentration  that invariably generalize all particulates with equal toxicity without distinguishing individuals by its source and composition, which genuinely have different health consequences. Importantly, the health effects in terms of mortality due to BC aerosol exposure have never been evaluated in India.
R.K. Mall led the team of scientists including Nidhi Singh, Alaa Mhawish, Tirthankar Banerjee, Santu Ghosh, R. S. Singh from the Department of Science & Technology-Mahamana Centre of Excellence in Climate Change Research  at Banaras Hindu University explored the individual as well as the cumulative impact of BC aerosol, fine , and coarse  particulates, and trace gases  on premature mortality in Varanasi. They have recently published their research in a reputed journal “Atmospheric Environment”.
A typical urban pollution hotspot in central Indo-Gangetic Plain , the town experiences very high aerosol loading and trace gas concentrations throughout the year due to prevalence of a subsidence zone and observed decadal increasing trends both in Aerosol Optical Depth and Black Carbon aerosols.
The Scientists from the Centre of Excellence in Climate Change Research supported by the Climate Change programme of Department of Science and Technology  utilized daily all-cause mortality and ambient air quality from 2009 to 2016 to clearly establish a significant impact of BC aerosols, NO2 and, PM2.5 exposure on mortality. The inclusion of co-pollutants  in the multi-pollutant model increased the individual mortality risks for BC aerosols. The effect of pollutants was more prominent for males, age group 5-44 and, in winter. They found that the adverse effect of air pollutants was not limited to current day of exposure but can extend as high as up to 5 days . They further showed that mortality rises linearly with an increase in air pollutants level and shows adverse impact at higher levels.
Inclusion of BC as a potential health hazard inspires and provides a background for more epidemiological studies to provide evidence of health effects of air pollutants from different parts of India. The study could also help estimate the future burden of mortality associated with air pollutants considering the present association and incorporating a growing population rate. This will help government and policy-makers for better planning to mitigate the adversity associated with changing climate-air pollution-health nexus.
Publication link:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.118088
Ministry of Defence
Defence Corridors
In pursuance to the budget announcement , it has been decided to set up two Defence Industrial Corridors in the Country, one in Uttar Pradesh and another in Tamil Nadu. Subsequently, six nodes in Uttar Pradesh Defence Corridor viz. Agra, Aligarh, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Kanpur and Lucknow have been identified. Similarly, for Tamil Nadu Defence Corridor, five nodes viz. Chennai, Coimbatore, Hosur, Salem and Tiruchirappalli have been identified. Till date, six consultation meeting of stakeholders each in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu were organized across its various nodes.
Investments of approximately Rs 3,700 crore were announced by Ordnance Factory Board  & Private Industries for Uttar Pradesh Defence Corridors and investment of approx Rs 3,100 crore were announced by OFB/DPSUs & private industries for Tamil Nadu Defence Corridor.
Further, Government has also appointed a consultant for the preparation of policy and Detailed Project Report  for these two Defence Corridors. Incentives to private players and foreign companies are provided under the respective state policies.
Setting up of Defence Industrial Corridors would catalyse indigenous production of defence and aerospace related items, thereby reducing our reliance on imports and promoting export of these items to other countries. This will lead to achieve India’s goal of self-reliance in defence, generation of direct/indirect employment opportunities and growth of private domestic manufacturers, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises  and Star-ups.
Presently, there is no proposal to set up more Defence Indusrial Corridor in the country.
This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Shripad Naik in a written reply to Dr  Kirit Premjibhai Solanki and others in Lok Sabha today.
ABB/SS/Nampi/KA/DK/Savvy
(
Ministry of Mines
Gold Deposits in Districts of Odisha
Geological Survey of India , during Field Season Programme [FSP] 2018-19 carried out ‘general exploration’  for base metal in Adash block, Deogarh district of Odisha which revealed presence of gold as an associated metal, along with copper. GSI has established an indicated resource of 0.90 MT at 0.97 ppm of ores of gold in Adash block. The resource- bearing geological report has been handed over to the State Government of Odisha for auctioning. After auction of the block, the indicated resource may be upgraded to mineable reserve by successful bidders.
This information was given by the Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Commission for air quality reviews air quality scenario in National Capital Region and adjoining areas.
Identifies ten immediate measures.
in National Capital Region and adjoining Areas met and reviewed the air quality scenario in the region, actions taken by various agencies so far and further steps to be taken for improving the air quality.
The Commission noted that future action will necessitate consultation with various stakeholders. However, at this stage the Commission stressed the need to strictly enforce existing laws, rules, guidelines, directions and standard operating procedures to minimize air pollution on an emergency basis.
The Commission also felt that active public involvement is critical in the abatement of air pollution and identified the following major immediate measures:
1. Minimize use of personalized transport to the extent possible
2. Restrict travel unless absolutely essential
3. Encourage work from home
4. Strict enforcement of laws and rules regarding dust control measures including at construction sites
5. Strict enforcement to prevent burning of municipal solid waste and biomass
6. Intensify water sprinkling particularly in dust prone areas
7. Use of anti-smog guns at pollution hotspots specially at construction sites
8. Strict implementation of extant rules, Courts and Tribunal orders regarding stubble burning and use of fire crackers
9. Seek co-operation from civil society and public spirited citizens to report air pollution incidents on the Sameer App
10. Encourage coal using industries in NCR to minimize the use of coal in the coming months.
Ministry of Defence
Border Roads Organisation clears Rohtang Pass three weeks in advance despite Covid-19 lockdown
Border Roads Organisation  has opened Rohtang Pass  today, more than three weeks in advance amid Covid-19 lockdown after clearing snow. It is the arterial road connecting Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh from rest of the country. The pass was opened on May 18, last year.
Himachal Pradesh Government had approached BRO to expedite the snow clearance to facilitate return of farmers for starting cultivation and movement of essential supplies and to bring relief materials to Lahaul Valley in wake of COVID-19.
BRO inducted hi-tech machinery from both Manali and Khoksar side. Snow blizzards, freezing temperatures and frequent triggering of avalanches at Rahala Fall, Beas Nallah and Rani Nallah did delay the operations but the snow clearance teams kept on working relentlessly day and night with all COVID-19 precautions to provide relief to the residents of Lahaul valley.
First convoy of vehicles carrying essential supplies and approximately 150 farmers moved to Lahual Valley today, guided by BRO thus officially opening the Rohtang pass this year. The news of Rohtang Pass being opened for traffic three weeks in advance as compared to previous year has brought relief amongst the local population. It will facilitate the Centre and State Governments to bring much needed relief material and medical supplies for the local population. Also, the agriculture activities which are the backbone of the District can now recommence.
Snow clearance operation for the opening of the pass is carried out every year as the pass remains snow bound for almost six months i.e. from mid-November to mid-May. It was kept open till December 12, 2019. The complete valley remains dependent on air maintenance for any external logistics/supplies during winters.
Meanwhile, to augment the Government’s efforts against COVID-19 all personnel of Border Roads Organisationhave collectively contributed One Crore Rupees to the PM CARES Fund over and above One Day Salary.
ABB/SS/Nampi/KA/DK/Savvy/ADA
(Visitor Counter : 1021
Ministry of Defence
Air Marshal Manavendra Singh AVSM VrC VSM
Assumes Charge as Director General Inspection and Safety
Air Marshal Manavendra Singh, AVSM VrC VSM, took over as Director General Inspection and Safety, Air Headquarters RK Puram on 01 Nov 2019. The Air Marshal was commissioned in the flying branch of Indian Air Force on 29 Dec 1982 as a Helicopter pilot. In a distinguished career spanning nearly thirty seven years, the Air Officer has flown a wide variety of helicopters and trainer aircraft. He has over 6600 hours of flying in various challenging sectors like the Siachen, the Northeast, Uttarakhand, the Western desert and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is a Qualified Flying Instructor with vast instructional experience.
During his career, the Air Officer has held numerous important appointments.
He was Commanding Officer of an Operational Helicopter Unit and later on became Station Commander of a frontline Helicopter Base. He was Asst Chief of Integrated Defence Staff  at HQ Integrated Defence Staff, Senior Officer-in-Charge Administration at HQ Eastern Air Command and Senior Air and Administration Staff Officer at HQ Maintenance Command. Prior to his present appointment he was Senior Air Staff Officer, Southern Air Command. He is an alumni of Defence Services Staff Colllege, Wellington and Army War College, Mhow.
He is the recipient of Presidential Awards of Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Vir Chakra and Vishisht Seva Medal.
He is married to Mrs Ambika Singh and they are blessed with two sons.
Ministry of Defence
Defence Secretary & Chief Operations Officer, Royal Bhutan Army meet in New Delhi to enhance bilateral defence cooperation
Chief Operations Officer, Royal Bhutan Army  Lt Gen Batoo Tshering called on Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane in New Delhi on November 01, 2022 during his visit to India. During their interaction, they discussed ongoing defence cooperation between the two country’s Armies and reviewed areas of mutual interest to increase cooperation.
The Defence Secretary congratulated Lt Gen Batoo Tshering on completion of 17 years as the COO, RBA. Lt Gen Batoo Tshering was enthusiastic about the positive connect with Indian Military Training Team and acknowledged their contribution to the well-being of Bhutan since 1962.
Shri Giridhar Aramane acknowledged the National Service Program  launched by His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. He discussed possible avenues of cooperation between India and Bhutan in the area of skill development of youth.
Lt Gen Batoo Tshering was appreciative of the review he carried out of the Passing Out Parade at Officers Training Academy, Chennai. The Defence Secretary and COO, RBA acknowledged the strong bonds of friendship between India and Bhutan and reinforced the commitment of both sides to continue the bonhomie and friendship.
ABB/Savvy
(Visitor Counter : 1200
Ministry of Steel
Special Emphasis on Infrastructure Development for Steel
The Government has laid special emphasis on infrastructure development through schemes like National Infrastructure Pipeline , Housing for all, Jal Jeevan Mission, Bharatmala Project, Sagarmala Project, Construction of Dedicated Freight Corridor and UDAN initiative etc. The Ministry has also been engaging stakeholders from various sectors such as Housing & Construction, Infrastructure, Urban Development, Railways, Defence, Oil & Gas, Civil Aviation, Rural Development, Agriculture, Dairying and Food Processing etc. with a view to promote usage of steel and to boost the demand in Construction/ Infrastructure and Automobile sector as per details given below:-
 Workshop organized in February, 2020 at New Delhi, Mumbai and Bhubaneshwar in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, Trade, & Industry , Japan by engaging Japanese experts.
 Webinar organized on 30.6.2020 with Indian Developers, Builders, Designers, Consultants, Fabricators, Academicians from IITs and steel producers to enhance steel usage in the country especially in construction sector.
 Webinar held on 18.8.2020 with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Ministry of Civil Aviation to foster steel usage in Housing construction sector.
 Constitution of a Committee of experts from INSDAG, IITs, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways  and industry experts for development of designs for long span  steel-based Bridges.
 A Joint Working Group  having members from M/o Housing and Urban Affairs , M/o Skill Development, Ministry of Steel, BIS, CPWD, Technical Institutions  and from Industry has also been setup for fostering steel usage in Housing and Construction sector to develop standardized design and layouts of housing configurations with steel structure with estimated cost, as adopted in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana  houses.
 Engaging Engineering Export Promotion Council of India , multiple automobile players and Indian steel players to understand possibility of competitively priced domestic manufacturing and procurement of auto grade steel in India.
Details of production of crude steel in India during last five years and current year is given as follows:-
|
|
Year
|
|
Crude steel Production 
|
|
2016-17
|
|
97.94
|
|
2017-18
|
|
103.13
|
|
2018-19
|
|
110.92
|
|
2019-20
|
|
109.14
|
|
2020-21
|
|
103.54
|
|
2021-22 
|
|
66.805
|
|
Source: Joint Plant Committee 
Details of sector wise consumption of total finished steel during last three years is given as follows:-
|
|
Domestic Steel Consumption 
|
|
Sector
|
|
FY 18-19
|
|
FY 19-20
|
|
FY 20-21
|
|
Building & Construction
|
|
42.9
|
|
43.4
|
|
41.0
|
|
Infrastructure
|
|
24.4
|
|
25.1
|
|
23.8
|
|
Automobile
|
|
9.3
|
|
8.8
|
|
8.4
|
|
Engineering & Packaging
|
|
21.8
|
|
22.0
|
|
20.9
|
|
Defence
|
|
0.4
|
|
0.9
|
|
0.8
|
|
Total
|
|
98.7
|
|
100.2
|
|
94.9
|
|
Source: Joint Plant Committee 
This information was given by the Union Minister for Steel Shri Ram Chandra Prasad Singh in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
Prime Minister's Office
PM praises Pashu Pradarshni and Kisan Mela in Muzaffarnagar UP
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has said that Kisan exhibitions encourage farmers to adopt modern technology.
He was lauding Pashu Pradarshni and Kisan Mela in Muzaffarnagar UP which was shared by local MP and Union Minister of State Dr Sanjeev Balyan.
The Prime Minister tweeted :
"बेहतरीन प्रयास! इस तरह के किसान मेलों से जहां हमारे ज्यादा से ज्यादा अन्नदाता भाई-बहन आधुनिक टेक्नोलॉजी अपनाने के लिए प्रेरित होंगे, वहीं उनकी आय के साधन भी बढ़ेंगे।"
Prime Minister's Office
PM administers Rashtriya Ekta pledge on Rashtriya Ekta Diwas at Kevadia
Inaugurates Technology Demonstration Site at Kevadia
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today, administered the National Unity Day Pledge at Statue of Unity in Kevadia, on the occasion of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas. He also reviewed the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas parade presented by various police contingents from all over the country.
Since 2014, 31st October is observed as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas and people from all walks of life participate in the Run for Unity, across the country.
Flag bearers from all States and Gujarat Student Cadet Corps presented the drill on ‘Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat’ to the Prime Minister. Police forces including NSG, CISF, NDRF, CRPF, Gujarat Police and Jammu & Kashmir police presented separate demonstrations of their forces in front of the Prime Minister.
Later, Prime Minister inaugurated the Technology Demonstration Site in Kevadia. He visited the stalls by the police forces showcasing modern technologies on a variety of themes ranging from aviation security, modernization of police forces etc.
Ministry of Defence
Crash of Indian Air Force Flights
The details of aircraft crashes during the last six months are as follows:-
|
|
Date
|
|
Types of aircraft crashed
|
|
28.01.2019
|
|
Jaguar
|
|
12.02.2019
|
|
MiG-27 UPG
|
|
19.02.2019
|
|
HAWK Mk-132
|
|
08.03.2019
|
|
MiG-21 BISON
|
|
31.03.2019
|
|
MiG-27 UPG
|
|
03.06.2019
|
|
AN-32
Every aircraft accident/incident is thoroughly investigated by a Court of Inquiry to ascertain the cause of accident and the recommendations of the completed Court of Inquiry are implemented.
This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Shripad Naik in a written reply to Dr. K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao in Rajya Sabha today.
Nampi/HS
(
Special Service and Features
Application invited
Thiruvananthapuram 01 March 2023
As part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Nehru Yuva Kendra organise district-wise youth debates. India@2047 youth debate will be held from 1st April to 31st May 2023 along with the participation of social voluntary organisations. These organisations including youth clubs will be given financial assistance up to a maximum of 20 thousand rupees for conducting the debate, as per the guidelines of Nehru Yuva Kendra.Three debates will be organized in each district under the leadership of experts on the future development of the country based on the five pledges of the Prime Minister's Independence Day speech. From each district three organisations each will be selected. For more details and application form contact Nehru Yuva Kendra District Youth Officers.
-ND-
(Visitor Counter : 43
Prime Minister's Office
PM unveils ‘Statue of Peace’ to mark 151st Birth Anniversary celebrations of Jainacharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj
Requests Spiritual leaders to promote AatmNirbharta by going vocal for local
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today unveiled ‘Statue of Peace’ to mark the 151st Birth Anniversary celebrations of Jainacharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj, via video conferencing. The Statue unveiled in the honour of the Jain acharya, has been named as ‘Statue of Peace’. The 151 inch tall statue has been made from Ashtadhatu i.e. 8 metals, with Copper being the major constituent, and is installed at Vijay Vallabh Sadhana Kendra, Jetpura, in Pali, Rajasthan.
The Prime Minister paid tribute to the Jainacharya and the spiritual leaders present on the occasion. Mentioning two ‘Vallabhs’, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel and the Jainacharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj, the Prime Minister said that he feels blessed by the fact that after dedicating the world’s tallest statue of Sardar Patel- ‘Statue of Unity’, he is getting opportunity to unveil the ‘Statue of Peace’ of the Jainacharya Shri Vijay Vallabh.
Reiterating his stress on ‘vocal for local’ Shri Modi requested that as happened during the freedom struggle, all the spiritual leaders should amplify the message of AatmNirbharta and preach about the benefits of ‘vocal for local’. He also said that the way the country supported the local during the Diwali festival is an energizing feeling.
The Prime Minister said India has always shown the path of peace, non-violence and friendship to the world. Today the world is looking towards India for the similar guidance. If you look at the history of India, whenever need arose, some saintly figure emerged to guide the society, Acharya Vijay Vallabh was one such saint. Mentioning the educational institutions established by the Jainacharya, the Prime Minister praised his efforts to make the country AatmNirbhar in the field of education as he established many institutes imbued with indian values in states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. He said these institutions have given so many industrialists, judges, doctors, and engineers who have given yeoman service to the nation.
The Prime Minister underscored the debt that the country owes to the efforts of these institutions in the field of women's education. These institutions kept the flame of female education alive in those difficult times. The Jainacharya established many institutions for girl children, and brought women to the mainstream. He said, the life of Acharya Vijay Vallabh ji was full of kindness, compassion and love for every living being. With his blessings, Bird Hospital and many gaushalas are running in the country today. These are not ordinary institutions. These are the embodiment of the spirit of India and the hallmarks of India and Indian values.